Ditch the New Year’s Resolutions

January 19, 2018

We are in “get healthy” mode here at Lulu and Roo and we brought in new momma, health and fitness expert Sadie Kolb to help kick our butts into shape. This girl knows her stuff and she is sharing her tips and tricks with us on the blog today. Summer 2018 here we come!! Read her post below on how to become your best self.

Ditch the New Year’s Resolutions!

Ok, not exactly! Keep reading to find out what I mean. Before diving head first into the New Year hoopla, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Sadie Kolb and I’ve always had a passion for being physically active. This passion led me to a Division 1 basketball career at Sacramento State University California where I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. Upon graduation, I became a NASM certified personal trainer, Women’s Fitness Specialist, and Perinatal Specialist. But, I take the most pride in the title of wife and NEW mom! Eeeek! My baby just turned three months old. Cue no sleep, no make-up, no shower, no life other than feeding baby, changing baby, sleeping baby, and trying to hold myself together! Whew…. It gets better right?

Continuing to the good stuff! What do I mean by “Ditch the New Year’s Resolutions?”I mean, ditch the cliché New Year’s resolutions. Work with me here. If you made a resolution list, take it out and look at it. If your list has any of the following, rip it up and burn it (or throw it away, that works well too): lose weight, be heathier, exercise more, sleep better, travel, eat less sugar, save money, etc. If you didn’t have any of these items on your list, you’re off to a great start. But stay tuned to know how to REALLY vamp up your resolution list and ensure you don’t fall off the wagon by February. SIDE NOTE: only 8% of people stick to their New Year’s resolutions. Yikes!For those of you who have ridden yourselves of that no-good list, listen up! In order to set AND achieve our goals we need to be realistic with what we expect from ourselves and most importantly be specific! Specific to the point that we have a detailed plan for each goal. The problem with the goals listed above is the lack of clarity. What are you going to do to be healthier? What steps are you going to take to lose weight? When we don’t break these larger goals down into smaller specific goals, the means to achieving the goal is too ambiguous and leaves too much room for error. Goal Setting Formula:

Set SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, Timely. 1. Be specific. Rather than saying “I want to lose weight.” Phrase it as, “Decrease my body fat percentage by 5% in three months”. I would recommend even taking things a step further and making it more specific. “I will decrease my body fat 5% in three months by working out five days per week and hitting my macronutrient goals seven days per week.”

How are you going to measure this goal? You can measure your progress towards this goal by getting your body composition tested bi-weekly or monthly. You can also track your progress by keeping a food and exercise journal (or using an app) and recording the days you exercise and achieve your daily nutrition goal. Whatever your goal, make sure there is a way to visibly see your progress.

Make sure your goal is attainable. While yes, it’s always good to shoot for the stars and challenge yourself, we want to make sure that attaining the goal is actually a reality. Consider where you’re starting point is. Set smaller short-term goals on your way to that Dream Big Goal! This will help keep the motivational juices flowing as you continuously hit those smaller goals.

Once you reach your goal, will you feel rewarded? When setting goals, it’s important to have a “why”. Why are you wanting to set this goal? If you find that your reasons for doing something are largely based on what someone else wants or thinks, you most likely won’t succeed or won’t feel satisfied. My personal “why” for maintaining my health is to be able to be around for my family for the long haul. I want to be able to “out-play” my children. Most importantly, I want to teach my daughter how to LOVE her body and to never feel insecure about her imperfections. How can I teach my child if I don’t practice what I preach? Find your “why” and it will never let you fail. It will keep you going when your will is tested.

Set a time frame for yourself to accomplish the goal. Is it going to take you a year, a week, a month, two years, etc.? In most cases, when we give ourselves a deadline, we usually get to work! But don’t worry, if you don’t achieve your goal in the time frame you’ve set, all is NOT lost. Just re-evaluate your goal, make adjustments, and keep at it.

REALTALKOn a serious note. The New Year is a great time for a fresh start but it’s not the only time you can start something. Every Monday is a new week and every day we wake up is a new day to start over. If you mess up on your goals, slack off for a few days, calm down, regroup and pick back up where you left off tomorrow and all will be well in the world. Consistent effort is what will produce long term results. My hope for us all during the New Year is that we don’t make our physical appearance the sole focus of our goal setting. Include not only health related goals but spiritual, emotional, and financial as well. Total health starts from the inside-out. Change the way you think about yourself and the outward appearance will soon reflect the inside. Stop doubting, start believing! You can do GREAT things!

Here is a quick and easy meal and workout to get you started on a healthier happier you!